Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a stark warning to 18 major American companies, declaring them 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran, with the Guard warning that attacks on those companies would begin from April 1. Among those named are Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Nvidia, IBM, Dell, Oracle, Cisco, HP, Palantir, JPMorgan, Tesla, GE, Boeing, and Intel.
Intel responds to Iran threat
Of the companies named, Intel was the first to publicly respond. In a statement to CNBC, an Intel spokesperson said, "The safety and wellbeing of our team is our number one priority. We are taking steps to safeguard and support our workers and facilities in the Middle East and are actively monitoring the situation."
AI and ICT companies are main targets of Iran
The IRGC stated that American ICT and AI companies are 'the main element in designing and tracking assassination targets,' and warned that 'companies that actively participate in terrorist designs will be subject to reciprocal action in response to each assassination.' The Guard also called on employees of these firms to immediately distance themselves from their workplaces, and urged residents within one kilometre of affected facilities to evacuate.
Iran has already struck AWS data centres
The threat is not an isolated incident. Iran struck AWS data centres in the Middle East in early March, causing outages across several apps and digital services in the UAE. Risk experts warn the situation is worsening.
US tech firms have been funnelling resources into the Middle East in recent years, specifically around the AI infrastructure build-out, with the region offering cheap energy and access to land. That expansion now places significant assets, and personnel, squarely in the crosshairs of an escalating conflict.
